This invention relates generally to means for tightening the slack in a line and more particularly to apparatus for tightening a net cable passing through the upper horizontal portion of a tennis net which is supported between a pair of vertical standards or net posts.
Tension is generally applied to a tennis net by including well known means located on at least one of the net posts for removing any slack in the cable passing through the tape which extends horizontally across the top of the net. Various types of tensioning devices have been utilized and take many forms. One serious disadvantage of such apparatus is its being located on the side of the net posts. This has been found to be a source of serious injury to tennis players due to the external projections presented thereby. Aside from being somewhat unsightly, these net tighteners also lend themselves to undesired tampering and theft of both the net and tightener.
This then has resulted in a recent appearance of tennis net tightening devices which are incorporated into the tennis net post and include means located on the inside of the post for tightening the net cable. What is significant about such arrangements is that they require the removal of the pre-existing post and a replacement of a complete new net post incorporating the in-post tensioning mechanism therein.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved type of net tightening apparatus.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improvement in in-post tennis net tightening apparatus;
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved in-post tennis net tightening apparatus which can be inserted as an adapter unit on an existing tennis net post without any modification thereof.